I have recently purchased a portable blender. It was an impulsive purchase but not one that I have regretted yet. I like the idea of being able to make smoothies and fresh fruit juices at work. I am not sure why this has never occurred to me before, most likely because I thought that I would not have time. However I have found that if I really want to do something I will make time. The blender that I have bought will make the drink in 30 seconds, so less time than it takes me to heat up my food in the microwave.

I am not sure where the desire comes to drink my fruit in this way. Up until a few years ago, this would not have been something I would have thought to do. I requested a smoothie maker some years ago as a birthday present and I think it was no turning back at that point.

We received a Nutribullet as a wedding present but I was always a little disappointed that I would have to drink the finished product there and then in my house, it was not something that I could take anywhere with me, and to be honest, why would I?

There was a time when I would make smoothies for breakfast but on days when Nacho would start later than me (i.e. most days – I am up between 6 – 7 am) he would find that the noise of the Nutribullet very loud and it would wake him up. So, out of consideration for him, I stopped making my morning smoothies, another disappointment.

You can see now how it did not take much to pique my interest when an advertisement for a portable juicer came up on my Instagram feed. I normally ignore these things but this one I somehow could not. I did a little Google and Amazon search on the best juicers on the market. The one that I eventually purchased had consistently good reviews albeit only 10. It also seemed the the most practical. It came with two glass bottles, a lid and it could be separated from the motor unit and blades. It also looks quite cute, and I am a sucker for cuteness, seemed fairly compact and easy to carry around.

So how did it fare? So far , so good. I made my first breakfast fruit juice, for the first time in a while. I used up the blueberries, orange, and kiwi fruit that were left over from the previous days packed lunch. I sat down in my kitchen and took the time to enjoy the drink, instead of rushing around like I normally do in the mornings. It was nice, obviously not as tasty, rich and creamy as a smoothie but I’ll get there. It’s quite easy to wash, I just ran some water over the blades and then dried them with a paper towel, there was no fruit residue.

I took it to work and made another fruit juice. That was nice, because it was something I have never done before. It certainly made for interesting conversation at the lunch-table, including why did we feel the need these days to drink our fruit and vegetables.

I think the noise around smoothies is aimed at getting us to consume more fruits and vegetables. But honestly, when I thought about it, I could eat the same foods in their unblended state minus the additives, if I just took the time to plan it into my meals and snacks. It’s not rocket science. However I also appreciate that these drink are fun to create and make and they taste delicious.

Sunday morning I was at it again. I wanted to know if this machine would crush ice. It does. I did let it spin for 90 seconds though, until I stopped hearing the sound of the ice whirling around.

Sunday lunchtime…you get the picture.

Friday afternoon…

Another afternoon…

So, a week has passed and I have not regretted my decision. I will continue to enjoy drinking my fruit. I am thinking that the next stage for me will be bringing in my own milk and making more banana and milk based concoctions. They are filling and comforting in a way that I sometimes need after a long morning clinic. Watch. This. Space.